Potato-parer.



` T. MILLER.

POTATO PARER.

APPLIOATION FILED sBPT.1o. 1913.

PateuaJuly 21, 1.914n

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

ZYesses.

T. MILLERi PoTATo FABER.

APPLIUATION FILED SEPT. 10, 1913. I 1, 1 04,21 2, Patnted Jul)T 21,1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2. Z/

UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ToBIAs MILLER, or'- YoUNGs'roWN, dirlo.

romarin-Panna.

. Specification of Letters iatexit.

Patented July 21, 1914.

.appnqafion inea septemberio, 1e13. serial No. vsaioa chine possessingvspecial utility vas a potatol parer. To this end,1the inventioncontemplates a paring machine, (particularly, designed for paring orpeeling potatoes), so` constructed that the same maybe conveniently'operatedfor thoroughly paring the vegetableor fruit in quantities,While at the sametime .embodying means for effecting the paring, orpeeling of the skin Without undue Waste.

Another object of the invention is to'pro-kvide a paring machine whereinlmeans are provided for automatically adapting the cutters to differentsizes of the vegetableor fruit Withoutlimpairin the shaving or peelingoperation, and a so to provide novel and reliable means for ejecting allof the. .pared objects -by the simple actof openingup the paring units.1 Also the invention has in fview a novel combination -of elements whichincludes means for' slicing4 or cutting up into small I'pieces the paredobjects as the are discharged from the paring units.

YVith these and other objects in View which Will -beireadily apparentfrom the general nature of the machine, the invention consists in thenovel' construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter vmore fully described, illustrated, and combined.

.Though susceptible of various structural modifications in non-essentialparticulars, a preferred and practicalembodime'nt of the invention `isshown in ,the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is an end .viewof a multiple' par- 'ing machine constructed in accordance with thepresent invention. Fig-2 is a side elevation thereof; Fig. 3 is anenlarged sectional View of the slicing mechanism arranged at.

the Adeliveryend of the discharge chute of the machine; the line ofsection being indicated by the line on Fig. l 'of the drawings. Fig. 4is an enlarged `detail sectional ,new on the 1in@v 4; 4 of Figaillustrating more plainly the internal construction of the sliclngmechanism. Fig. 5 is anenlarged vertical. sectional view of one of thecoinf plete paring units including the driving means, and also theclamping means for each cup member thereof. Fig 6 is an enlarged cross`sectional view through one of the cupV members on the section line 6-6of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a skeleton or fra-gmentary perspective viewillustrating the means for-mounting. and driving What'ma'y be termedtheupper cup members of the paring unit. Fig. 8 is a diagrammaticviewillustratiye, 'of the movements of the verti- 'cally swinging topcarrying-frame for the upper cup members, and of the discharging devicefor automatically removing the potatoes or pared fruit from the machine.Fig.

9 isja detail sectional view on the line b-b of Fig. 8, showing moreclearly a vdetail of the discharging device YWhich is operated by themovement of the carrying-frame for theupper cup members.

.Like reference characters designate" corresponding parts in the severalfigures of the `drawings.

The Working -parts of the novelv paring,v

machine are carried by a' suitablel frame- Work, designated by 'thenumeral 1 and con,

stituting the machine stand. 'This stand o r 'frame-Work provides theprimary support for a gang o r series of. paring units. Any number ofthese'paring units may be'employed according to the desired capacity ofthe machine. They are of' duplicate con-4 struction and are operatedsimultaneously` whereby a number ofpotatoes orA other objects maybepared at the same time, thus providing means whereby hand-paring orpeeling may be entirely dispensed with andthis Work accomplishedquickly, accurately,

and in quantities.

Each of the paring units primarily consists of a pair of approximatelysemiglobular cup lmembers designated generally by the letter C. These'two cup members., of each' unit, are arranged in registering superposedrelation and are adapted to hold andconfine therein a single potato, andinasmuch as each of said cup members carries knife blades, it Will beunderstood that each cup member has a hdlding or clamping functionl forthe potato, as Well as racutting function to pare the skin from-theQbody thereof.

Referring more in detail to the structural a central head member 2 andapluralit-y of.

curving frame arms 3 radiating and projecting from one side of the headmember and united with an edge ring 4 which registers with` thecorresponding ring of the other cup member ofthe unit, so that the unitis entirely closed about the potato when the twocup members are broughttogether. Between each pair of the frame arms of the cup member 1s hunga clamp segment 5. This segment conforms to the general curvature of thecup member frame and has a pivotal mounting at its upper end lby meansof a hinge connection 6 between such end and the said frame, while theunhinged end of the clamp segment is confined for a limitedplay withinthe edge ring 4, as best shown lin Fig. 5 of the drawings.' It will thusbe seen that the several clamp segments 5 of each cup member C arecapable of a limited movement toward and from the longitudinal axis ofthe paring unit, and are provided upon their external sides with theexterior longitudinally disposed bearing ribs 7 which are adapted to -beslidably engaged by a clamping ring 8 which is yieldingly carj ried bybracket rods, 9, which also support pressure springs 10 that provide theyieldablemountin for the ring 8.

Each mova le clamp segment of each cup member C has formed therein kalongitudinally disposed opening ll'in which is yieldingly held alaterally swinging knife block 12 having a spring hinge connection 13 at.one of its edges to the segment carrying the same, said spring hingeconnection consisting of the usual hinge elements and a spring coiledabout the hinge pintle and exerting a tension in a direction to normallyhold the knife blockwithin its opening 11, while at,

the same time permitting outward yielding thereof to adapt it to thesize-of potato being operated upon. The vknife block 12 for each clampsegment may bein sections, (as shown in Figs. 5` and 6 of the drawings)with each 'section of the knife block having a knife opening 14 in whichis arranged a knife l frame of the cup member soas to compel the larelement 37 having end cutter lto rotate therewith, and the body of saidendcutter is formed with a -central centering and holding point 18 forthepotato ,andwith aplurality of radially extending inclined seats forradially arranged terminal,

. knife blades '19 whose edges are all `disposed -naled in the bearings23 of a bearing fork 24,

which in turnfi'scarried by one of the frame bars 25 of a'v'erticallyswinging`top carry? ingA frame F 'for'the upper cup'members. Theysupportin yframe bar 251s' provided with a "series of caring forks 24corresponding to the number of paring units lin the machine, and isrigidly joined to the end bars V26 of the frame F, which essentiallycomprises the said end bars'and a frontY operators handle 27 connectingthem. The said end bars-26 have a .pivotal support intermediate theirends, as at k28, Aon a shaft 29 and beyond one side of thisvshaft thesaid end bars are provided with arm extensions 30 carryingcounterbalancing weights 31. The said shaft 29 is geared or other- *iwise operatively connected asat 32 with the' hand wheel 33 or equivalentsource of power and has fitted thereon belt wheels 34 having beltconnections 35 with the terminal pulleys 22 of the series of suchpulleys. Short belt Y connections 36' from one'pulley 22 to an ad`jacent pulley 22, provide, in connection with the belts 35, means forsimultaneously rotating the entire series of belt pulleys 22, i andhence the upper cup members C of all of the paring units when motion iscom` municated to the main drive shaft 29 from the handv wheel 33 orothersource of-power. Similarly, the body frame of each lower cupmember() is formed with a terminal col- With a driving spindle 38journaled in suitable alined bearings 39 and carrying a double groovedbelt pulley 40 having short belt connections 41 'with adjacent pulleysof the series of such pulleys for the lower cup members. The terminalpulleys of this series have belt connections 42 with belt wheels 43 on acountershaft 44, which, inturn, hasva belted -connection 45with'the.maindrivingfl shaft 29, thus providing means whereby the upperand lower lcup members ofy all the paring units may simultaneously b ederivenv lfrom the same source.

a rigid connection To provide for simultaneously controlling i .theclamping rings 8 for the upper cup members of all the paring units, thebracket rods Within the base of the machine stand at 58 fing or clampingmeans for' thelo'wer halves l of 'the' potatoes bv moving the' clampingA9 'carrying the said rings are suitably fastened; as at 46, to anniversal connecting bar e7 having link er equivalent connections 48with a controlling lever frame i9 pivotally hung from the carrying frameF as at 5d, and having ahandle member' 51 conveniently disposed beneaththe operators handle 27, so that the operator can grasp both handles atofnc'e and by merely tightening the'grip can move the lever frame L9 soas to provide for depressingthe universal bars 47 and therebyv move therings 8 for all of the upper cup members int-o clamping engagement withthe clamp segments 5. The effect of this is to cause the uppercupmembersto act 'as clamps for gripping the potatoes and helding the upperhalves thereof while the lower halves are being pared or peeled by thelower cup= memb'ei's. Vice versa,- when the upper cup members are free lof the clampingV action vof theirrings 8, the lower' cup membersare'caused to act as holdrings S therefor into active positions throughsuitable controlling connections which Ainclude an operators treadle 52pivotally hung and having rod connections 54 with a. universa-lconnecting bar 55 which connects with all of the bracket 'rods 9 for thesaid lower series of the clamping' rings 8.

The end cutter head 16 within the bottomportion of each upper cup memberhas a yielding spring support as at 56 within the terminal collarelement 20, thus permitting the distance between the opposite v'cutterheads 16 of eachl paring unit to adjust-itself to the size of thepotato. The lower end-cutter head 16 of eachrparing unit is tted to theupper end of an ejector rod 57 slidably mounted within the longitudinalbore 58. of the driving' spindle' 3 8 for .the lower cup member. Thelower end'of each ejector ro'd 57 may be formed with ahead 59 adapted tobe engaged by a common lifting bar 60 carried by lever members 61pivotally hung in the machine stand as at. 6 2, and having 'barconnections 63 between. their rear endsand the rear arm eite'nsions- 30of the end bars 26 of the frame F. By reason of this-construction andarrangement of parts, it will be observed that when the top carryingframe F is lifted, thereby raising all of the upper cup members, the barconnections 63 will be depressed, 'with' the result of lifting thebar`60 so that the end cutter head 16 .in the lower cup .member of eachparing unit will act as anfejector to lift the pared potato into theopeningl provided between the two cup members through the lifting 11p-ofthe upper cup members, at which opening the pared potato will be exposedto the impactof the kicker bar 64L of they discharging device.` `Thesaid discharging device inpin 70, t-hus full line cludes a series of thekicker bars 64, one for each paring unit, and a rocker shaft 65journale'd on the machine stand and having openings through which thekicker bars slide when swung on thel axis' provided by the rocker shaftthrough the action of a trip lever -66 having' a pivotal connection, asat 67 ,with the connected series of kicker bars. The trip lever 66 isnormally pressed toward the rocker shaft 65 under the' influence of aspring 68 bearing thereagainst, and; at its upper end the trip lever 66is' provided with a catchho'ok 69 normally engaged by al lifting pin 70carried by the top frame F. When the top frame F is lifted, as shown bydotted lines in Fig.- 8 of t-he drawings, the

hook and pin connection 69 and 70 cause the' l trip lever 66 to. beraised and swung backi ward with the' spring .68- acting as itsv fulcrumthus causing not only the rockin-g of the kicker bars .64 on theiraxles, lont also causing the same to slide forward in a path across theuppercnp members,

reached a. position where the catch hookv 69l will automaticallydisengage itself from the permitting the spring 68 to' automaticallvlretract and foldl the'elcments of the dischargingk device' into theirnormal positions shown in Fig. 8 of the drawings. i

The delivery chute 72 directs the pared sachet the@ impact heads 71 ofthe kicker bars will dis- .place the pared potato and kiek the same roopotatoes into the'casing' 73 of'a slicing machine 74 which includes inits organization I a plurality of rotary circular cutters- 75 and aplurality of rotary plural-pronged feeding hooks 76 ser-ving to forciblycarry thepotatoes between and past the cutters. This mechanism which maybe conveniently beltedby means of th'e beltconnection 77 with thecountershaft 44 serves-tc cut up or slice the vpared potato into Smallpieces.

During the paring operation of the potato by the cup members, theparings are prevented from working out to the front into the chute 72 bymeans of the shield plates or guards 78 and 79 Vwhich are respectivelyarranged infront of the entire series of up-` per' and lower cupmembers, the upper shield 7 8 being preferably carried-'by the top framealternating with the cutters 75 and ilo F'as shown in Fig. l so as notto obstruct the discharge of the potato by the discharging device. Theparings may be conveniently deiiec'ted into a parings box 80 arrangedlwithin the machine stand in the rear of the paringunit.

' From the foregoing, it is thought that the construction, operation,and many advantages of the herelndescribed parlng machine vcup membersare separated.

lwill be apparent 'without further descrip-v 'unit consisting of.' apair of cup members each having holding and cutting means,

means for rotating the cup members, means .for separating the'cupmembers, and meansl for discharging the pared object when the 2. A.paring machine including a paring unit consist-ing of a pair of cupmembers each having cutting means, means for rotating the cup members,means for separating the cup members, a manually operated ejectorarranged in one of the cup members, and

a discharging device operating between the cup members when separated.

3. A paring machine including a vparing unit consisting of a pair of cupmembers, each of which comprises a body frame and a plurality ofyieldingly moiinted'knifecarry ing members, and means for rotating saidmembers'.

4. A paring machine including a lparing unit consisting of a pair ofVcup members, each of which comprises a body frame, a plurality ofmovable segments hung within said frame, and a plurality ofknife-carrying blocks movably mounted in said segments, manuallycontrolled clamping means coperating with said movable segments, and

means for rotating the cup members.

5. A paring machine'including a paring unit consisting of a pair of cupmembers each of which comprises a body frame, a plurality of movablesegments pivotally hung within the frame, and a-plurality ofknifecarrying blocks mounted in the segments and having spring hingeconnections therewith, manually controlled clamping means coperatingwith said movable segments, and means vfor rotating the cup meinbers.

6. A paringr machiner including a paring unit consisting of a pair ofcup-members each of which 'comprises a skeleton body frame, a pluralityof movable segments .pivotally hung at one end within the frame, and aknife-carrying block mounted in each segment and having a spring hingeconnection therewith, the pivot axis of each knife-carrying block beingdisposed at substantially right angles to the pivot axis of the segmentin which it is mounted, and means for rotatf ing thecup members. A j

5-7'. .A-paring machineincluding aparing I ejector.

unit consisting of a pair of cup members, each of which comprises a bodyframe, a plurality of movable segments hung within the frame, andknife-carrying members carried by said segments, a manually controlled`clamping ring embracing each cup member and adapted to engage themovable segments thereof to cause the cup member to act as a clamp forholdingithe object, 'and means lfor separately rotating the two cupmemers.

8. A paring machineincluding a paring unit consisting ci' a pair Iorsuperposed cup members each carrying knives, means for .Separatelyrotating the' cup members, and

an end cutter head arranged within the bottom part of each cup memberand rotatable therewith,

9. A paring machine including a paring unit consisting of' a pair ofsuporposed cup members each carrying knives, means for separatelyrotating the cup members, and an end cutter head-arranged within the cupmembery and rotatable therewith, each of a holding element said cutterheads having urality or radially for the object and a p lextendingterminal knife blades.

10. A paring machine lincluding a paring unit consisting oi" a pair ofsuperposed cup members .each'carrying knives, means for separatelyrotating the cup members, an end cutter head yieldingly mounted withinone cup member, an ejecting cutterhead vmovably mounted within the othercup member, and means for operating the latter cutter head to eject apared object.

11. A paring machine including a paring unit consisting of a pair ofsuperposed cup members each carrying knives, a vertically swinging topframe connected with the upf per cup member for raising the same, meansfor separately rotating the cup-members, an

ejector movably mountedwithin one of the Vcup members, means actuated bythe movement of said top frame for operating said ejector, and adischarging device also actuing the cup members, anejector arran,'9e''iv in one of the'cup-membei's and operatively connected with saidseparating means,l and a discharging device automatically operated andreleased by said separating means, and

vincluding a plurality'lof swinging and sliding kicker bars adapted towork above said 13. A paring machine including a paring unit `consistingof a pair of cup members eachhaving cutting means, means "for rotatingthe c'up members, aj verticallyswingstand,

ing top frame connected with the uppercup member for separating the cupmembers, a sliding ejector Within one cup member, operating connectionsbetween said ejector and said'top frame, and a discharging devicecomprising a plurality of swinging and sliding kicker bars Working overthe ejector, and a spring retracted trip lever operatively connectedWith said kicker bars and having a tripping engagement with said topframe.

14. A paring machine including a paring unit consisting of a pair of cupmembers, each having cutting means and movable clamp members, ayieldingly supported clamping ring engaging each cup member and adaptedto engage said movable clamp members thereof, separate lever means foroperating the clamping rings respectively for the separate cup members,and means for l vrotating the cup members.

15. A paring machine including a machine a series of paring unitsarranged swinging top frame connected Within the stand and eachconsisting of a pair of superposed cup members having holding andcutting means, avertically with the upunits, a deside of the per cupmembers of all of the livery chute arranged at one series of paringunits, a slicing mechanism receiving the objects from said chute,driving mechanism including means for rotating the upper and lowerseries of cup members and for 'operating said slicing mecha-l nism, andmeans for discharging the pared'.

objects from the paring unit into said chute when the units are openedby the lifting of said top frame.

In testimony WhereofxI hereunto aiix my signature in the presence of twoWitnesses.

TOBIAS MILLER.

Witnesses: j

AGNES A. JOHNSTON, F. E. OAILoR.

